Cushion-spring for cream-separator neck-bearings



C. 0. ANDERSON. I CUSHION SPRING FOR CREAM SEPARATOR NECK BEARINGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.-13. I9I8.

'1 3 37 9 7 Patented. Apr. 27, 1920.

III II.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.-

CARL OSCAR ANDERSON, Oi -SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS,- ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T THORNE BROTHERS, INCORPORATED, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF ILLINOIS.

CUSHION-SPRING FOR CREAM-SEPARATOR NECK-BEARINGS.

tion.

In operating centrifugal liquid separators of the type employed for separating cream from whole milk it is essential that the bowldriving spindles shall be rotated at high speed. These spindles usually support the separating bowls, and to insure proper balancingof the latter, under the high speed of the driving spindles, it is desirable that the upper ends of the spindles be capable of lateral yielding. To provide for this due regard must be had for the meshed relation of the spindle and its driving gear so that the same shall, not be impaired, and this yielding provision also must contemplate proper alinement of the driving spindles to preserve equilibrium of the separator bowl.

.The present invention seeks to provide a cushion spring for the neck or upper bearings of cream separator driving spindles which Will accomplish the foregoing ends; one which is simple in construction and easily produced and, therefore, cheap to manufacture, and one which may be expeditiously applied to and removed from the bearing with which it is associated without the employment of special tools.

With the foregoing in view the invention consists substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that the form of the invention herein shown and described is not to be taken in a restricted sense but simply as an illustrative embodiment thereof and, therefore, susceptible to change, modification and variation.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a cream separator to the neck bearing of the driving spindle of which a cushion embodying the herein described invention is applied;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the slitted blank from which the cushion is formed;

pringfield, in-the county of Sangamon Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 27, 192() Application filed April 13, 1918 Serial No. 228,300.

' Fig. 3 is a similar View of the cushion in its completed state; and

Fig. 4; is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof;

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the frame proper of the machine having associated therewith the usualbearing body or casing 11 in which is disposed the usual separating bowl (not shown). Alsoassociated with the frame 10 is the worm wheel 12 actuated from the crank shaft 13, said wheel being inclosed in said frame and working within an oil cavity 11 at the rear of said frame. The numeral 15 designates the usual worm spindle which supports and operates at its upper end the separating bowl before referred to; 16 designates the stop screw for the spindle 15; 17 is the neck or upper bearing for the spindle, and 18 designates the yielding cushion spring for said bearing. The latter is the particular feature with which the present invention is concerned and its construction will be apparent from Figs. 2, 3 and a.

In constructing. the cushion spring 18 a properly-dimensioned sheet of metal is employed, the same being slit on parallel lines, as at.19, to provide a plurality of resilient tongues 20. Each tongue 20 has one of its ends free while its other end is integral with a supporting strip 21, constituted by the unslitted portion of the sheet and extending at right angles to the tongues, and said tongues are capable of independent flexing. With the blank thus formed each tongue 20 is bent upon itself to provide an elliptical-shaped loop 22, the extremity of each tongue being folded into the loop and resting against that portion which is adjacent to the supporting strip 21. These extremities are free to move within the loops 22 so that the latter may readily contract and expand as may be necessary to cushion the transverse movement of the spindle bearing as it yields in balancing the separator bowl. After formation of the loops 22 the blank is bent into annular form, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the ends being separated, as at 23, to permit the annulus to expand and contract. This enables the cushion to be opened for ready application to the bearing 17 which it surrounds, and to contract thereon under its inherent resiliency and thereby retains itself in position on the bearing.

. When applied to the bearing 17 and the latteris positioned on the spindle 15, the cushion spring lies between the bearingand the sides of'the opening in the body or casing 11 which receives the bearing. Each loop 22 exerts itself independently of the "othersin sustaining the spindle 15' in its proper relation to the driving gear, that is to say, While the several loops cooperate to sustain the spindle 15 in the relation mentioned, each loop may contract and expand inde .pendently of the others to provide the proper lateral yield .to the spindle, thus insuring V proper balancing of the bowl. The cushion obviously may be applied to and removed from the bearing without employment of special toolsin fact, manipulation by the fingers is suflicient to efi'ect the same. i

I claim:

1. A cushion spring of the class described, comprising a supporting strip provided with f a plurality of tongues bent to form a plurality of closed loops each of Which iscapable offlexing independently of the others,

said supporting strip being bent into the form of an annulus. V r

2. A cushion spring of the class described, comprising a supporting strip provided with a plurality oftongues bent to form a plurality 0f elliptical loops each of Which is capable of flexing independently of the .others, the free ends of said tongues being projected into the loops and permitting the latter to contract and expand independently of each other, said supporting strip being bent into the form of an annulus.

3. A'cushion. spring of the class described, comprising a sheet slitted on parallel lines to provide a plurality of tongues, said tongues being bent upon themselves to form a plurality of connected resilient loops, the extremities ofthe tongues being projected into the loops and permitting the latter to contract and' expand independently of each other, said loops being bent into the form of an annulus. p

4. A cushion spring of the class described, comprising a blank slitted on parallel lines to form a supporting strip and a plurality of resilient tongues extending at right angles thereto, the ends of said tongues remote from saidsupporting strip being free,

whereby to render said, tongues capable of" gles thereto, the ends of said tongues remote from said supporting strip being free, whereby to render said tongues capableof independent flexing, each of said tongues being bent upon itself to provide an elliptical shaped loop, the extremity of each tongue being folded into the loop formed thereby and resting against that portion of itself which is adjacent to the supporting strip,

said supporting strip and the looped tongues being bent into the form of an annulus.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in thepre'sence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

CARL OSCAR ANDERSON.

Witnesses: v

EDWARD E. DE FREITAS, W. A. LYMAN. 

